Clover's Luck
by Castiel's Angel 1996
Summary: Clover has been with the Dixon brothers all her life. Now the Apocalypse has began and they are the only two she has left. Follow the Trio of trouble as they make their way through Apocalyptic America in hopes of reaching a safe haven in Atlanta. Chapter 1: Before Apocalypse. Chapter 2 onward: Apocalypse before Season 1
1. Before

_Four Years Old_

"H-A-T, 'at" the little girl said, spelling the word before trying to pronounce it.

Daryl Dixon shook his head, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "You have to pronounce the _H_ Clove, Ha-Ha-Hat."

"Ha-Ha-'at" Clove copied, her little eyebrows drawn down. "Ha-Ha-'at. _Ha-Ha-Hat_! I did it Rayl, Ha-Ha-Hat! See, I can do it!"

"Good job, high five, Chip!" Daryl grinned, holding up his hand for the four year old to hit.

Daryl watched as she went back to her little spelling book, spelling out more words before saying them. When she got them wrong, he corrected her. Once she pronounced the word correctly, she would give him a large smile, one of her front teeth missing.

Sitting with a four year old, helping her learn her words, it wasn't strange for him. He'd known the girl since her birth, their fathers being drinking buddies. Being just ten years old, he didn't like the small baby and refused to have any contact with her. He only saw her once or twice after that, until she was three and her mother died. At thirteen, Daryl had to step in and help look after the kid, it was either him taking care of her or the little girl dying; her father didn't care. When he wasn't in Juvie, Daryl's older brother, Merle, would help look after the little girl as well.

Though the two Dixon brothers were known for being the tough bullies in the small town, they acted completely different around Clove. She was a child, innocent against all the things going on around her. They knew about her daddy too, he would drink and hit at her, not caring that she was only a little toddler. It was just like what they had to go through.

Sitting in a small clearing in the middle of the forest, with a four year old who was learning her words, was the usual thing for the fourteen year old boy.

 _Eight Years Old_

"Daryl! Daryl! Open up! Please, Daryl!" Daryl opened his eyes, hearing Clove's words and the pounding of her fist on the door.

"Clove?!" he got up quickly, nearly running to reach the door and pull it open.

And there she stood, her face covered in tears and her lips trembling. Her body shook but it wasn't from the cold, it was a warm Georgian night. Then he saw it, peaking over the shoulders of her light blue shirt. Blood.

He opened the door wider, stepping to the side to let her in. As she stepped passed, he caught a glimpse of her back. Angry lines of blood ripped across the light blue fabric, standing out and screaming for attention. It explained why she was shaking, why she had tears streaming down her face and why she had came to his house.

His house was the only safe place for her to go. As soon as he had turned eighteen, Daryl had brought his own little trailer. It was safe, only for him and her, if needed. None of their dads could come in and hurt them, this was their safe haven.

He had a small little room at the back of the trailer and had made it up for her, when he first moved in. Daryl had wanted her to stay with him but her daddy went mad, threatened to have Daryl arrested for kidnapping. He had to let her go.

She came around often, sleeping there at least once a week. It was the only time she could sleep, knowing she was safe and no one was going to burst into her room and attack her; like what had obviously happened tonight.

Daryl guided her to the small couch, sitting her down and telling her to wait for him. He went into the bathroom which had barely enough room for a toilet, shower and a small sink. Above the sink was a cabinet filled with the wipes he would need to clean her back. He grabbed a box along with bandages and medical tape. Before going back to her, he grabbed a clean top from her supply in her bedroom and a pair of scissors from a draw near the kitchen.

He set everything down on the floor beside the couch, taking a seat behind her. Taking a deep breath, knowing what horror was about to be before him, he carefully put the scissors to the middle of the top and started cutting. Putting the scissors down, he gently pulled the piece of clothing from her skin; it still hurt her though and she gave a small whimper.

He took a deep breath, staring at Clove's back. There were cuts all over it, blood dripping from the wounds. It was obvious that she had been beaten with her father's leather belt. When Daryl was beaten by his father, his wounds also looked like this.

"Stay still, Chip" he said to her, dabbing carefully at the skin using a wipe.

"It hurts" Clove cried, squirming again.  
"I know but it'll hurt even more with you jiggling about" he told her. "Trust me."

She let out a large sigh, fighting to hold still while he cleaned her back. "Is it really bad?"

"Nah, its fine" he lied, even though he worried over the blood. "Ya gonna have scars though..."

"That's what daddy wanted" she whispered. "He said I was getting too pretty, like mama used to be. He said the scars would scare the boys away and I'll be able to stay with him forever."

Daryl didn't say anything, just shook his head and sighed.

"I don't wanna stay there forever Daryl" Clove told him, turning to look at his face. "You and Merle have to take me away. We could go live in a castle, I can be a princess and you and Merle can be the knights who look after me."

"I'll get you out of there one day, Clover, I will, I promise" he told her. "But I can't yet. I could get in a lot of trouble, be taken away for a long time."

She sighed, turning back around to let him carry on treating her back. "I wish you and Merle could take me away. I don't like daddy."

 _Eleven Years Old_

"Come on, you're eleven now" Merle said, leading the way into the woods. "Time to grow a pair and stop whining."

"But I can't grow a pair, Merle, I'm a girl" she smiled back at him.

"Shut up" he snapped at her, giving her a glare which she only laughed at.

"I don't wanna learn how to shoot the crossbow" Clove told him, kicking at the forest ground. "I don't want to be like Daryl."

"What's wrong with being like me?!" Daryl asked, offended as he looked down at her.

"Your bossy, and annoying" she replied, turning back to Merle. "I wanna do something cool, like you. I wanna throw knives too!"

Merle wasn't looking at Clover though, but was instead looking over the top of her head. He gave Daryl a smirk, raising an eyebrow at him. Merle had taken over as Clove's favourite person, officially. Over the past two weeks, she had been following him around and trying to copy him, only paying a minimal amount of attention to Daryl.

Daryl glared back at his older brother, jealous that he had been knocked down a place on her list of favourite people. He was used to having all her attention, having her look up to him. He used to be the one that Clove wanted to be like.

"Merle" Clove tugged on his hand, gaining his attention again. "I wanna learn how to throw knives."

"Sure thing, sweetheart" he smiled at her.

 _Fourteen Years Old_

Clove laid on Daryl's bed, flipping a knife in her hand. She stared up at the ceiling, thinking about throwing a knife into it. Daryl would get mad though and take her knives away...again. She'd had her knives taken more than three times over the past couple of years, by both Daryl and Merle.

"Luke Turner tried to kiss me today" Clove said casually, turning the knife over.

"What?!" Daryl asked, moving the towel away from his head in order to be able to look over at her properly.

"Yeah, in the playground" she told him. "In front of everyone."

"Did you kiss him back?" Daryl inquired, turning to face her properly. "You're too young to have a boyfriend."

"Are you deaf?! I said he _tried_ " she rolled her eyes. "I hit him."

 _Sixteen Years old_

"Do I look okay?" Clove asked, fiddling with her hair.

"You look fine" Daryl grumbled back, not even turning to look at her.

Merle rolled him eyes, smirking at him brother before turning to Clove. "You look great, sweetheart."

"Daryl? What do you think?" Clove's voice shook slightly, her nerves showing. "And look at me this time, you haven't got eyes in the back of your head."

Sighing, Daryl turned his head to look at her. His jaw clenched as he took in her appearance. Her brown hair hang over her chest, straight as a ruler. Her grey eyes were clear and framed with long, dark lashes with winged eye liner. She wore a tight, long sleeved blue dress which fell to mid-thigh, showing off her long legs; a black bow belt around her waist. Her black heels added to help make her legs longer. In her hand was a small, black, clutch bag.

Daryl throat got dryer, she looked beautiful. "You look good. Don't get why you're dressing up for him though."  
"Its a date Daryl, girls are meant to dress up" Merle laughed.

"Okay, well, I've got to go. I said I'll meet him at the end of the road" she turned for the door. "See you guys later."  
"Tell David we said hi!" Merle called after her.

 _Seventeen Years Old_

Daryl held Clove against him, feeling helpless and unsure as she cried into his shoulder. This was the most physical contact he had engaged in...ever. When she was little, she would hold Daryl's hand but that stopped when she turned ten. They would hug when they saw each other, that stopped not long after her fifteenth birthday. Their contact had become less and less, and now this was strange for him.

"It was all just some stupid joke!" she cried. "He was dared to go out with me. I caught him being given the money and he just told me that our relationship wasn't real. That I was ugly and white trash, no one would want me."

Daryl's arms tightened around her, his blood pulsing in anger. How could someone say that to her?! She was perfect. She was beautiful, smart...She wasn't trash at all.

"He's right. No one will ever love me" she cried.

He didn't say anything, just held her close. He stroked her hair, trying to calm her down some. It wasn't long until Merle walked in, having left when Clove had first told them what happened. "Where have ya been?"

Merle shrugged. "Sorted him out.

 _Eighteen Years Old_

Clove rushed into the trailer, the biggest smile on her face. Her eyes shone with happiness and pride. Her hair, tied in a messy plait, bobbed against her chest ad she breathed heavily. Daryl sat on his couch, waiting for her to get her breath back as he flicked through the channels on the TV.

"You...or Merle..." Clove gasped.

"Merle's gone back to the cage" Daryl told her, taking a sip of lukewarm beer. "Went this morning."

"What?" the smile fell from her face, her voice tinged with sadness.

"Sorry, Chip" he sighed. He was quiet for another few minutes. "What got you so excited?"

"I...I won some prom tickets and vouchers" she told him. "I can afford a dress now, a pair of shoes too. I... I was going to ask if you or Merle would take me to prom."

"I ain't going to no lame dance" his voice was hard and disgusted at the suggestion.

Clove sighed, walking over to sit on the couch besides him. She dropped the envelope onto the small coffee table, leaning back against the plush cushions. She knew he would say no, she knew Merle would say no if he were here. With Merle though, she could easily just persuade him, Daryl was a little more difficult.

"That's what I thought you would say" Clove grumbled. "This is my one chance at going to a school dance and you won't even take me. Its not fair, Merle would have."  
"I don't care what Merle would have done, he's not here" Daryl snapped. "Quit ya whining. Its just a stupid dance. Go with one of your friends."  
"You and Merle are my only friends..." her voice was low with embarrassment, realising how pathetic that sounded.

"Go by yourself then" he shrugged. "I ain't taking ya to no dance."

 _Eighteen Years Old_

Clove looked beautiful, no one at the prom could deny that. She wore a strapless cream dress, the waist upwards decorated with sparkling glitter. The glitter went down in an ombre effect through the flowing dress, which was floor length; it was a big puffy one but it still still flowed well. Her silver gem encrusted heels added to her hight but were invisible under the long skirt of the dress. Her long brown hair fell in loose curls over her chest; she had never looked beautiful in her life.

Though everyone agreed about her appearance, no one asked her to dance. She was the weird girl. She lived in a trailer with one her of best-friends, who was a guy, and her other best-friend was a druggie who liked to beat anyone who hurt her up. And so she sat a little round table, alone, watching as her classmates laughed and danced.

Maybe she shouldn't have gone to the dance, maybe it was a mistake. It was obvious that she would either sit at the little table all night or dance alone. She didn't really want to do either. She wanted to go home. She stood up, turning to the entrance of the dance hall and froze.

Clove watched as Daryl walked in, shocked. He wore a suit, something she had never seen in her life. His bow tie was a little wonky but it was to be expected from him. By the expression on his face, Clove could tell he was both nervous and annoyed and she couldn't help but smile.

His eyes scanned the room, stopping when they rested on her. They widened, seeing her in her prom dress for the first time. She was a woman now, a breathtaking woman. He let a small smile show as he walked towards her, one hand in his pants pocket as he fiddled with something.

"You came" Clove said, pure joy lacing her words.

"Couldn't leave you to the sharks" Daryl told her, glancing around before looking back at her. "You don't look too bad, Chip."

"Neither do you" she smirked. "Merle's?"

Daryl looked down at the suit he was wearing. "Yeah, he has a few for court. Thought I would take one for the night." his hand came out of his pocket, a small box twiddled in fingers, "I got ya something."

Clove grinned when she saw the little box, "Show me!"

He lifted it up so she could see it properly before opening it. On a plush black cushion sat a beautiful necklace. A silver heart hung from a matching, thin, silver chain. The heart was see through and hollow, yet the view was stopped by the swirls going across the middle of it.

Clover couldn't believe her eyes, it was breathtaking. She had never seen a piece of jewellery before, never mind something as perfect and beautiful as the necklace before her. Her mouth hanging open, she looked at Daryl in shock.

"Do you like it?" He asked, nerves clouding his voice. "I can take it back if you don't, get ya something different if ya want."

Clove threw her arms around his neck, pressing herself against him in a tight hug. "I love it!"

Daryl sighed, "Good. Ya had me worried for a second."

She let go and turned her back to him, moving her hair out of the way. "Put it on for me?"

Daryl carefully removed the necklace from its holder, dropping the empty box onto the table. He looped it around her neck, letting the heart drop down onto her chest. He clasped it and put it down to rest, his fingers ghosting over her soft skin.

Clove turned back to face him, fingers touching the necklace gently. "Thank you, Daryl." She said before pressing a quick kiss to his cheek.

Daryl dropped his gaze, his face beginning to heat with embarrassment. "Yeah, whatever."

 _Nineteen Years Old_

"Hey, Chip, do you-" Daryl cut off, his mouth dropping open. "What the hell!"

"Daryl!" Clove shrieked.

"Dude, get out!" the other bloke snapped.

Daryl quickly left the room, moving to his own instead. He should have knocked, should have thought. But he wasn't used to knocking though, he usually just walked in the room when he wanted to talk to her. And, normally, she was reading or doing some school work...not that!

Daryl's eyes burned. He couldn't get the image of Clove naked from his mind. Her pale skin glowed in the faint bedroom light. She was skinny and short in height, yet her body was one a man would drool over. Her breasts were full and plump, her ass round and firm.

He didn't expect to walk into her room and find her standing in front of some guy, completely undressed. He didn't expect to walk in right as they were about to have sex! And she still had the necklace on, the one he had brought her a few months ago for prom. She was going to have sex with some stranger while wearing something he had brought her?! Ew, gross!

The image of Clove's body entered his mind again and he could feel his trousers becoming tighter. Oh god, this was bad, so fucking bad! He had known her through the whole of her life. Helped look after her when she was young. They were best-friends, he couldn't think about her in that way.

There was a knock on the door but he just ignored it, keeping his eyes closed as he laid back on the bed. He heard the door click open before shutting again and he opened his eyes. Clove stood just in front of the closed door, her head down and she was fully dressed.

"What?" he snapped, his voice harder than he meant it to be.

"You should have knocked" Clove told him.

"Its my damn house, I shouldn't have to knock. Besides, how was I supposed to know you were whoring yourself out" he said.

She flinched. "I'm not a whore Daryl. He would have been the second guy, you've slept with loads of other women. And you should knock, that was my room you barged into."

"Yeah, and you just walked into mine without permission" he pointed out. "Now get out of here, you're fucking disgusting."

"Daryl..." Clove's voice broke, shaking with sadness.

"Go!" he shouted at her.

She rushed out of the room, closing his bedroom door behind her. A few seconds later, he heard the front door slam shut as she left the little trailer...

 _Twenty-three Years Old_

"Where's Chip?" Merle asked, settling himself onto the couch with a cool beer.

"Not 'ere" Daryl shrugged.

"Typical. Just get out after a five year sentence and she decides to go partying" Merle shook his head. "When she gonna be back."

"Don't know, she don't live here any more" the younger Dixon told him. "Moved out a couple of years ago, haven't spoken to her since."

"What?!" Merle asked in disbelief, looking at his younger brother.

"Got into a fight one night...Woke up the next morning to find all her stuff gone" Daryl replied. "No idea where she went."

 _Twenty-three Years Old_

Clove sat in her little home. Everything was crammed into two rooms. One room held the contents of a bedroom, living room and a kitchen, the other room was a bathroom which was smaller than the one she used to have in the trailer. She hated it all.

Her chest ached as she thought about the date. Tomorrow would be Daryl's birthday, the fourth one she will have missed. She was a terrible friend. Leaving without a word just because of some stupid fight.

Well, this year, there would be something a little different. She would go to his trailer, leave something for him. She had made a small bracelet of leather for him, knowing he would only wear it if it was 'manly'. It lay wrapped in a small plastic bag on her lap, ready for her to leave it on his doorstep.

Clove knew that he thought she had moved far away, to another town or something. He was wrong though. She lived in the forest, a small twenty minute walk from his trailer. She had found it, abandoned, the night she had walked out on him and had claimed it as her own.

She got a little piece of paper and a black pen.

 _Happy Birthday Daryl,_

 _-Chip x_

Using some sticky tape, she attached it to the small package. She left her small home, walked towards his house. There was light on in the trailer and she could hear the TV. Clove put the gift on the step just outside the door before knocking. She quickly ran back to the forest, hiding behind the tree to watch and see if he came out.

Daryl opened the door and frowned as he sees no one outside. Just as he moved to go back inside, he saw the little gift. He bent down and picked it up, pulling the note from the little package. He read it, a small smile taking over his face.

"Where are ya Chip?" Clove heard him ask, looking around. She took a step back, trying to move silently away but she stepped on a twig. Daryl heard the snap and his eyes widen when they see her. "Clover!"

He jumped from the trailer, running straight for her. She didn't bother with trying to run, like she wanted to, she knew he would catch her easily. Clove kept her head down, looking at the tips of her boots as a pair of strong arms wrapped around her.

Daryl hugged Clove to his chest, holding her tight and fearing to let her go. She buried her head in his neck, linking her arms around his waist.

"I'm sorry" she whispered, just loud enough for him to hear.

"Shush, its okay now" he kissed the top of her head.

 _Twenty-five Years Old_

"Get ya stuff, we're leaving" Merle said as he entered the trailer, Daryl just behind him.

"What?" Clove asked, turning away from the TV where she had been watching the news.

"Those things have made it to town, heck, Mrs Jane across the road was one of 'em" Daryl replied, pointing in the direction of the old woman's home. "Go get ya bag, some knives."

Clove ran to her small bedroom, already pulling her top off. She had moved back to the trailer only a few months ago, wanting to be closer to the bothers again. She supposed it was a good thing, what with this new illness going around. It had been on TV the past week or two, people eating each other. If someone got bit, they died...then came back to eat other.

She changed into a black vest top and black skinny jeans, pulling her black hunting boots on and her favourite leather jacket. She strapped a holder of three throwing knives to her left leg, putting a holder of two on her left arm. A good number more of her throwing knives were attached to her belt, along with a hunting knife. She grabbed a leather backpack and filled it with clothes. She got her other leather traveler bag, taking it to the kitchen and filling it with any tins of food or any crackers she could find.

She went to leave the trailer, seeing the Dixon's in the truck already; Merle's bike in the bed. She stopped, hand flying to her chest. When her fingers made contact with the heart necklace Daryl had brought her, she stepped out of the trailer and shut the door.

Clove dropped her bags into the back before going around to the passengers side. She climbed over Daryl's lap, moving to sit in the middle of the brothers. When she glanced down, she could see Daryl's crossbow beside his feet with at least a dozen arrows...

"Where are we going?" Clove asked, looking at Merle as he started up the truck.

"Atlanta" he replied gruffly, beginning to drive through the town.

"Atlanta?!" she groaned, that was so far away.

"Better settle down for the ride, Chip, its gonna be a long one" Daryl said, looking out of the window.


	2. Anti-Bacterial Gel

**Chapter 2! I hope this posts okay :) There is a more detail in this chapter, so, hopefully, you'll like it. Enjoy...**

Clove sat between the two brothers, her legs across Merle's lap and her back pressed against Daryl's side. She looked out of the windscreen, eyes glancing over their passing surroundings as they traveled the back roads.

Daryl had been adamant about them going the long way, sticking to the back roads as much as possible. Going through the main towns, they all knew there would be more people... meaning more of those things. While the back rounds would add a couple of hours onto their trip, it would be better in the long run.

The road was bumpy, jostling Clove in her seat. She sat comfortably though, used to these roads due to years of driving to and from the woods on these kinds of paths. Looking at the road ahead, she could anticipate which way to lean when the next bump boosted her into the air. Besides, she knew Daryl would reach out and grab her if she did decide to fall.

She sat up a bit straighter, scanning road. The concrete road was covered in dirt, mud clumps and various sizes of stones were scattered around. Dykes were running along the edges of the road, which occasional breaks to allow passage into the tall trees which made up the forests on either side. Occasional dirt trails separated from the road, leading off to trailers, or that's what Clove guessed.

"I spy with my little eye, something beginning with... 'T'" Clove said, tapping her foot against Merle's leg while looking up to Daryl.

"Trees" Daryl guessed, indicating to the ones passing.

"Nope" she shook her head.

"Toes" he nodded at Merle's worn out boots, his toes visible.

"No!" Clove laughed, elbowing him. "That's gross."

"Truck" Merle grumbled. "Now shut up with yer stupid game."

It was silent for a moment before Daryl said, "I spy with my little eye, something beginning with 'G-M'."

"Grumpy Merle" Clove bit her lip before quickly falling into giggles while Daryl chuckled.

Merle spared a moment to glare at the pair, though neither took any notice. He ignored them, turning back to the road and focusing on his driving. When Clove and Daryl were together, it was like babysitting children. And Merle didn't like babysitting or children.

After a moment, Clove's giggling subsided and she leant over to switch on the radio. The first few local stations were static, the itching noise echoing through the truck. The stations which were broadcast state wide, all said the same. A repeating, dull voice repeating to head to Atlanta for safety or, if there is too much danger, to stay indoors.

Clove fidgeted, sitting up straight as the pain in her stomach increased. "Merle, can we pull over? I need to use the bathroom."  
"Ya gonna have to wait, I want to get far before the sun sets" he told her.

"Mer, please. I'll sit on you and piss if you don't stop the car" she warned.

Daryl chuckled, looking over to his brother. "Ya want some new perfume?"

"Ya meant to be adults, not fucking five year olds" the older Dixon snapped, pulling into an upcoming driveway.

"But Merle, five year olds don't know how to fuck" Clove said innocently, looking at Merle in mock innocence.

With another glare, Merle pulled over and switched the engine off. Without a word, he climbed out of the truck, walking towards the back to shift through the supplies they had grabbed before they left. Clove climbed out of the truck with a smirk, walking the opposite way of the eldest brother and heading towards the little gas station.

There was a car in front of the otherwise abandoned station. The sign was dented, as if something had crashed into it, and the lights were flashing. After a quick peek into the car, Clove made her way into the gas station, the little bell jingling.

She walked towards the back where she could see the sign for the toilets, she could only hope they were somewhat clean. She had used many dirty bathrooms in her small life and she really didn't want to have to put up with one right then. Though, with the way her stomach hurt, she'd settle for anything.

The bathroom was dirty and Clove had to admit, it freaked her out a bit. The mirror above the sink was broken with a pool of blood at the centre. A few bloody hand prints covered the walls and streak of blood led out the door and into the main store.

Clove had hunted animals before, killed and gutted them. The blood and guts meant nothing to her no, she was used to it due to growing up with the Dixon brothers. But seeing this blood though, human blood, it made her uneasy. It just made her wonder what had happened? Did someone do this to another person? Are they still around?

Trying to ignore the sights, she quickly relieved herself. When she turned the tap, no water flowed into the sink. She turned it off before turning it back on again. Nothing happened, the water had been completely cut off from the station.

Feeling gross, she left the bathroom. She'd been to this gas station before, a long time ago, and knew they had anti-bacterial hand-gel. She walked around the aisles and went to the counter. It was a mess, papers lay on top of it, there was dried blood sticking them down. The small stand of candy bars on the counter was on its side, the contents having fallen onto the floor.

Clove picked up one of the larger candy bars and began to use it to push at the papers. She lifted a paper up and saw a bottle of blue liquid. She reached for it, knowing it to be the gel she was looking for. Anti-bacterial gel was the next best thing if you couldn't properly wash your hands.

Clove jumped when a hand landed on top on hers, seemingly appearing out of nowhere. She pulled her hand away, taking a few stumbling steps backwards; almost tripping over on a packet of _Skittles._ She heard the grunts from behind the counter, the sounds of someone struggling to stand up.

"Hey, you okay back there?" Clove called, leaning forward on her tip-toes by refusing to take a step forward.

"Errrg-urm-ee" the grumbles came again.

She watched as a head made an appearance as the person behind the counter began to stand up. Her eyes widened, a hand flying to cover her mouth. The skin on the lower half of its jaw was missing, revealing bloody tissue, muscle and bone. The skin over its right cheekbone was gone too, the edges of the skin looking like it had been torn away. The rest of its skin was pale, apart from the areas covered in blood. Though, if she were honest, it was covered in blood.

It made its way around the counter and stumbled towards her, bloody arms outstretched to grab her. Looking at its legs, the way they caved in, she was surprised he even managed to stand up. Her hand flew to her right leg, ready to grab one of her knives before remembering she had strapped them to her left leg. She grabbed two from her waist instead.

She held one in her right hand, the point of the blade pressing into the life line of her palm while lining up with her middle finger, her thumb crossing over the blade to hold it. It was an impulsive way of holding it, an instinct after years of using them. She quickly lifted her arm up from where it had been by her side, releasing it and letting it sail towards her target.

It was like riding a back. Once you got the hang of it, you wondered how you never knew how to do it. That was what it was like for Clover with her blades. They were a part of her, and extension of herself which she could use for attack or defence. They were her way to survival.

The blade buried itself into the man's chest. She waited for a second, expecting him to fall. Blood surrounded the knife but he still stumbled towards her. Clove held the tip of her next knife between her thumb and forefinger, her preferred way of throwing it. She stepped into the over-the-shoulder throw and watched as the knife hit the man in the neck.

He still reached for her though, knives having not put him down like it would a normal person. He still stumbled forward, nearly tripping over his own feet. His arms flopped about, as if they were heavy and he had no control over them. Even trying to reach for her, it seemed that it was taking a lot of effort to clench his hands in order to grasp her.

Clove grabbed his wrists as he reached her, holding him away. He was strong, much stronger than he looked and stronger than her. The force of holding him back knocked her backwards, and she tripped over something. She fell backwards, the man falling with her and she screamed.

In the movement of the fall, Clove lost her grip on his wrists. She screamed again as she felt rotting breath against her neck, quickly moving to hold his shoulder and push him away. Laying there with the man on top of her, clawing at her shirt to get closer, it felt like forever.

Her arms shook with the effort it took to hold him off, her chest tight as she strained. He was too heavy, she wouldn't be able to fend him off for much longer. She'd never been this scared before, not even when her daddy made a grab for his belt. There was a difference between lashes on your back and a bite wound to neck. Clove knew that he would do some serious damage with those teeth, his body strength at the moment was proof.

"Clove!" She heard Merle call at the same time Daryl shouted 'Chip!'.

"Help! Help" She screamed, her arms losing strength and the man go closer to her throat.

Clove could hear their shouts and the pounding of their feet as they ran towards her. She prayed, though she had never been religious, that they would hurry up. The shaking in her arms was worse and she knew she would only be able to last for a few more seconds.

The side of her face pressed against the dirty floor, her eyes clenched shut as she tried to keep her face and necks as far from him as possible. Over the years, she had imagined how she would die. Maybe at her fathers beatings when she was real small. Or if one of the drug dealers came knocking and daddy hadn't paid him. Heck, maybe even a hunting accident. And, if Clove really wished about it at all, she would die of old age.

The breathing on her neck got heavier as he leant down, bringing his mouth closer to her throat. And, just as Clove thought he was going to take a bite, he was pulled off of her. Hands gripped her under her arms, pulling her up and away from the scene in front of her.

Clove watched as Daryl took out his own hunting knife, side stepping the man as he came closer. Daryl quickly kicked out, knocking out the man's legs and sending him to the floor again. He lunged forward, stabbing his knife into the back of the man's head.

As the man ceased to move, Clove turned around and buried her face in Merle's chest, arms linking around his waist. This is what she needed, comfort from someone who would protect her, even if the person didn't want to offer that comfort.

Merle wrapped his arms awkwardly around her shoulders, giving her a pat on the head in the hope of being somewhat comforting. He wasn't the hugging type of person, never had been. Men didn't hug. Hugging required emotion and emotions were weaknesses.

Clove felt the tugging on her belt and glanced down to see Daryl replacing her knives. Releasing Merle, she turned and hugged Daryl. Her head rested against his chest, his steady heart pumping under her ear. She closed her eyes, breathing out a sigh in relief.

"You gotta aim for the head" Daryl told her, child resting on the top of her head. "Its the only way to put them down."

"What are they?" Clove couldn't help but ask, pulling back to look at Daryl. "The news didn't actually tell us anything. Only that people were getting sick and eating each other."

"They're some kind o' cannibals" Merle replied. "They get the fever, die and then come back."

"And the only way to kill 'em is to destroy the head" Daryl added.

Clove shivered, letting go of Daryl. She wiped the back of her against her nose, sparing a glance at the body of the man before walking out; the bottle of anti-bacterial gel left lying on the floor, forgotten.

She walked towards the truck, stopping just before the door. Leaning down, she took the holder of knives from her left leg, moving them to her right. She could throw with her left hand but it was far easier to throw with her right.

She climbed into the truck, taking her seat in the middle again. Silence filled the small space, none of the three knowing what to say. Heck, even if they did, nothing would be said. Not much needed to be said between them, they could have whole conversation with a few carefully selected facial expressions.

And so they sat in silence as Merle started the engine, pulling away from the gas station. Though they all seemed to be focusing on different things, they were all doing the same: thinking. Each of them was lost in their thoughts.

Clove was stuck thinking about what could have happened. She could have been dead. She could have been lying on the floor, her throat ripped out and her blood on the floor surrounding her. She wasn't one of those crazy people who were full of life but she didn't want to die, especially not like that.

But that's what could have happened. It could have been just the Dixon brothers in the truck at the moment and she could be lying dead on the dirty floor. She was lucky, she knew that. If it wasn't for the brothers, she would be dead, there was no doubt about that.

Daryl felt guilty. He should have told her about the cannibal-like thing, told her how to kill them if she needed too. He should have went into the station before her, made a sweep of the place and made sure it was safe. She could have died just then. He couldn't stop imagining it: Clove lying on the floor with her throat bitten out, blood surrounding her as the cannibal chewed its way through her ripped open stomach... She could have died, and it would have been his fault.

He had protected her since she was a kid. Took her away from an abusive father when he could. it was his job to look after her, protect her. And he had nearly failed today. It was pure luck that she had survived today, that he and Merle had managed to hear her screams.

Merle was just pissed. With this new cannibal-like apocalypse, how was he going to get his drugs? He would bet his soul that most, if not all, of his suppliers were dead. He wouldn't be able to actually make or grow some himself, do you know how much effort that took?! And the women! Most women were useless and defenseless, they wouldn't be able to protect themselves, even if they knew how to kill one of those things. Unlike Clove, they would be too scared to even try. Loads of women were probably dead, meaning loads of sex was out of the question. He couldn't fuck Clove, she always seemed too sweet and innocent to him... though he knew she defiantly wasn't. Besides, she was like his kid sister. And cigarettes! How would he get those?!

"Thank you" Clove suddenly whispered, looking at her lap in embarrassment. "For saving me."

"Shut up, princess" Merle grumbled, still pissed.

 **This whole chapter took place within an hour!**

 **So, how was it? Good, bad, okayish?**

 **Let me know :)**


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